Desert Sands
by miikochan
Summary: Set in Ancient egypt, kind of like Mulan. My first fic. main coupling is YamiAnzu, some JouMai, and a little of HondaShizuka. r&r please. Used to be called Untitled.
1. Default Chapter

This is my first fic so please give me nice reviews! Let's get this stuff straight first. This is sort of like Mulan but its placed in Ancient Egypt. I'm calling the Yugioh cast different names too. I found some ancient Egyptian names at this site. If I get anything wrong please tell me nicely! I tried to find the names closest to theirs! Here's their names:  
  
Yami-Atemu(his true name if you read the manga)  
  
Yugi-Yuya  
  
Anzu-Abana  
  
Seto-Setep  
  
Mokuba-Mokhtar  
  
Bakura-Bakenmut  
  
Isis-Isis(duh!)  
  
Jounouchi-Jarha(hehheh!)  
  
Honda-Haankeef(sounds beef._;)  
  
Shizuka-Sitra  
  
Mai-Maharet  
  
Rebecca(dunno her Japanese name)-Renefankh(I hate her but I guess I'll put her in anyway)  
  
I think that's all of them. The couples are Yami/Anzu the main,a little Jou/Mai,and a little Honda/Shizuka story, k? Now on with the story!   
  
Yuugi: FINALLY!  
  
ennovy:shadup!  
  
"Pharaoh, the tomb robbers have attacked the palace! We need reinforcements! We were able to fend them off, but we need them to guard the palace!"the wary pharaoh Ankhtify looked up at his general.  
  
"Send them to protect the villages!" He had dark heavy rings under his eyes from lack of sleep and worry. "But Sire! The people need you!" his scribe protested. Just before the Pharaoh could speak, the large ebony hieroglyphic painted doors creaked open and an official walked through them. Anktify sat up straight surprised in his golden throne.  
  
The official walked up the smooth marble stairs, "Sire! I-I'm afraid that your son, young Master Atemu has escaped again! We've looked everywhere for him!" The official stuttered looking down on the stair he was on. The Pharaoh groaned, this was definently not the time to sneak around. This was the forth time the prince had snuck out again! "He'll come back." He said warily rubbing his temple. He knew Atemu would come back. When the pharaoh had been a young prince, he was much like his son, sneaking around the palace and the surrounding village outside the palace walls. The door creaked again, but this time his younger son's attendant came in and kneeled before him crying, "My Pharaoh! Your son Yuya is gone too!" It seemed that Atemu had taken his younger brother on a trip. He held his hand up in a stop motion,"Do not worry about it, I think Atemu has taken him simply on a little nightly sneak-out trip in the vases again. And General? Send half of the soldiers here and the rest to protect the villages." He was so wrong about where his sons were.  
  
Two riders on white and semi-black horses steered their horses to a nearby oasis. "Whew! What a trip!" the shorter and younger one exclaimed. His innocent violet eyes flickered with excitement. He looked down at his kilt. It was brown with desert sand. He patted it and a dust cloud came off. "Hm. Its dirty." He ran a hand through his blonde banged and red tipped spiky black hand shaped hair. His older brother Atemu glanced at him, he looked similar but had a few more bangs, hair slightly fringed, his normally fierce narrowed athmyst eyes half closed, "Yuya, let's get some sleep." "Okay, but I don't think I should sleep in dirty clothes, Hasputet tells me its unsanitary and-" "Yuya, It's not going to kill you. Look at me I'm not dead and I used to do it until that attendant to me the same thing." He cut Yuya off before he could do any further babbling, "Besides,"he sat down on the soft grass and leaned against a oasis palm trunk, "We still have a little farther to go."  
  
"Man! It's been-I dont know five hours since we left the palace! Where exactly are we going again?" the thirteen year old looked to his fourteen year old brother. Atemu opened one slanted eye, "To al Baldari, remember? We're going to take part in this war, unless you have second thoughts? It's not too late to turn around." Yuya shook his head, "I wanna be a man too!" Atemu sighed and rolled onto his side listening to the the crickets chirp, "Then go to sleep."he grumbled.  
  
"Kay."The younger boy leaned on the trunk and followed his brother silently to dreamland.  
  
~Next day~  
  
"Are we there yet?!"Yuya asked impatiently, they had been traveling since they woke up which was ten hours ago. "Yuya! Geez, you've been asking me that all day! Yes we are there!"Atemu said exasperately as they rode their horses to the the dirty white tents. Soldiers were outside in straight lines practicing with their swords, probably their family swords, very sloppily. As Atemu and Yuya approached the tent, a blonde haired boy and a brunette with his hair slicked into a spike on his head around Atemu's age at the entrance of the camp. They seemed to be fighting with each other. "You was da one who hit me in da head wit yer dull sword, baka!"the blonde barked rubbing a fresh bruise forming on his head. "It wouldn't have happened if you hadn't tripped me Jarha! (an: V_V; it was the only 'J' name in the male name section! Sounds like Jar Jar Binks! X_X;) The brunette looked at the two boys, who were sweatdropping, almost identical except for height, standing in front of him. "Uh, Jar?"  
  
"What Haankeef?! Oh, Yo." the blonde boy scratched the back of his head, "You guys new?" "Yeah, When are we training?" Atemu asked.  
  
"The commander announces when we train. I'm Haankeef and this is Jarha. What's your guyses(an:yep i say this too. ^^;)name?" "Erm-Atemu and Yuya,"Atemu said gesturing to him and then Yuya who stood just a little bit behind Atemu, I doubt any of these guys know who we are, he thought. Yuya waved a choked hand, "Uh, Hi!" Yuya looked at the camp excitedly, he was going to be a man with his brother. Jarha's stomach growled loudly, and everybody sweatdropped, "Eh heh heh! I'm hungry." Haankeef smacked his forehead, "We ate just an hour ago, Jar!" "Yeah, but dat was an hour ago, let's go to da grub booth!" "Fine. You guys can come with us."Haankeef said. Yuya looked at the different men in half closed tents branding themselves with metal shapes, Wow that's what real men do! Cool!  
  
He ran to catch up with his brother, Jarha, and Haankeef to the food tent. "I'm surprised you haven't eaten all the food yet, dog."  
  
Hmm I wonder who this is? You probably know already. Don't worry the girls will be coming in the story soon. I know Yami(Atemu) is kinda ooc but he's younger. Everybodys going to be a little ooc. Someone help me with a title. I know this is kinda short but itll get longer. I hope. Oh yeah review!^^ 


	2. Chapter2

Thankyou K8DGR81! I feel so loved! I enjoy doing this kind of thing even without reviews.^^; Anzu and the other girls will be appearing in the next chapter. Ill update every two or three days since im able to get on everyday if I dont have alot of homework from that hellhole!  
  
yami ennovy:Hell hole? got that right! Yeah all you did in mathclass was make faces with numbers on the calculater like this *^-^,x-x, ()(0-0)*I hate going to school!  
  
ennovy:O..k you dont have to tell everybody what i was doing in math class! In case you forgot what the peoples new names are just go back to the first chapter please. you probably wont have to since i tried to get the new names as close to their real names cept Yami since we found out his name is Atemu. Bel um fal is like mouthful! Ill stop blabbering!   
  
Y ennovy: Finally! Im bored! I think ill have more of those white magets.  
  
Anzu: Its called RICE. *says slowly* R-I-C-E. Rice!  
  
y ennovy: *snorts* yeah i knew that! I think ill join YBakura to that brown thing with red stuff dripping off of it youknow the one that he calls 'really rare?'  
  
Anzu: *sweatdrop*  
  
ennovy:~_~; its called Raw Steak. Bakura, please do the disclaimer.  
  
Bakura: why?  
  
Anzu: Cuz youll have to tell that well undeveloped mind over that what steak is.   
  
Ennovy: plus ill have to lock you in that box and send you to Fangurls to pull "the rare Bakura hair" as a sovenier from the great tomb robber himself!  
  
Bakura: Ok Ok! Ennovy does NOT own Yugioh only DVDs,Cards, and other stuff. And if she did we probably be dead! There! I did it! Happy now?  
  
Ennovy: Yep!^^  
  
y Ennovy: *raw steak dangling from mouth and shaking it*Yah! On with the story!  
  
Someone PLEASE help me with a title! Please?  
  
"I'm surprised you haven't eaten all the food yet, dog." A boy that looked a year older than them said mockingly. He looks familiar, Atemu and Yuya thought.  
  
"Whaat?! You jus' call me a DOG!"Jarha screamed his face turning red and temper rising. Men passing by looked at them. "Nothing to see here men! So please go on with your business!" Haankeef said sweatdropping. The men turned to what they were doing. The boy looked down at Atemu and Yuya with cold blue eyes, "If I was you, I would ditch this mutt and his lackey." "I ain't a mutt!"Jarha said, his head about exploding ready to kill this boy.   
  
"And 'mnot his lackey!"Haankeef said angerly holding Jarha back.  
  
"It looks like it though," the boy sneered, "  
  
"We already have made friends with them. Right Yuya?"Atemu said staring just as coldly at the boy. "Right, Atemu."Yuya said with the same look in his eyes. "What's your name?" Atemu asked.   
  
"It's Setep, the son of the High Priest of Pharaoh Ankhtify, but you don't have to tell me who you are since I know who you are." Atemu's and Yuya's eyes widened. Atemu had a hard look in his eyes that clearly said 'Tell anyone and you die.'   
  
"Don't worry Atemu-I won't tell your secret. People will find out soon enough."Setep said as he smirked.  
  
"Why are you here then?"   
  
"I have to pray on the injured and dead. Father sent me here to see see if I was able to do it myself. See you later then." He flipped his violet cape and walked off. I doubt that he won't tell, Atemu thought.  
  
Jarha and Haankeef looked at Yuya with a confused looks on their faces. "Whad he mean 'your secret'?" Atemu was spaced out in deep thought, so Yuya answered nervously trying to keep a straight face, "Uhh-He probably thought we were someone else!"He rubbed the back of his head nervously.  
  
"Then how come he knew Atemu's name?"Haankeef asked suspiciously.  
  
"Um well maybe whoever he thought Atemu is, has the same name."  
  
"I guess so" Haankeef and Jarha looked satisfied, "Let's go inside now." Phew! Lucky these guys aren't the sharpest dagers, Yuya thought. He looked up to his brother, "Atemu? We're going in to eat now."  
  
"Huh?"Atemu broke from his thought. "Yeah, hurry up before Jarha eats everything!" Haankeef said walking in the tent. It wasn't that crowded. There was an iron pot full of gruel with a muscular man stirring it in one corner of the tent. A bar made of wooden crates in the corner. Jarha was already sitting there finishing his fifth bowl of gruel.  
  
"How can he eat that stuff?" Yuya whispered to his brother and Haankeef. "I dunno. He eats everything-even lizards."O_ol; Atemu and Yuya made faces, "eww." Jarha had stuffed a sixth bowl of gruel. He looked like a chipmunk with an acorn stuffed in its cheeks.  
  
Then he burped. Everyone in the bar looked at him totally grossed out. He continued to eat.  
  
"I've heard that he totally demolished that fool that challenged him to a duel(hey it rhymes! ^^;)."A man a couple seats away from him said to the bartender.  
  
"Yeah, I've heard he was scared shittless! He was sick for a week and had nightmares of him dying from some blue eyed monster."  
  
Atemu had caught hold of their conversation and asked, "Who are you talking about?"  
  
The man looked up startled, "Oh, phew! It's not him! We're talking about Gorban,(an: not an egyptian name so I made up this one)he got beat by Setep. He's an expert of Shadow dueling. No ones brave enough to challenge him. " Hm, seems Setep has made himself a reputation here. I've never dueled him though since we were always busy with that cursed studying! Atemu thought.  
  
"Atemu! Jar's choking!"Atemu paled, He sticks to much in his mouth than he can swallow! Geez.  
  
Atemu walked up to a blue faced choking Jarha, a freaked out Haankeef, and a frightened Yuya.  
  
"Jarha! Don't hate me for this!" Atemu punched Jarha in the stomach making him barf on the person next to him.  
  
"Wha the-?" the person next to him shouted later recognized as Setep.  
  
Jarha groaned rubbing his throat, "Uggh.." "LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID DOG!" Setep bellowed wiping the gruel off his face.  
  
Jarha, Atemu, Haankeef, and Yuya looked at him and just laughed.  
  
The other customers looked at Setep and started laughing at him too.  
  
"STOP YOUR LAUGHING YOU HYENAS!"(an:O_0 ok that was ooc but theyre younger, theyll work up to their regular attitudes as they get older, k?) He stomped angerly to the iron pot the muscluar man was staring and grabbed a handful of the sticky goo and thrusted it at Jarha's head.  
  
"HEY! WHAD YA DO DAT FOR?!" Jarha looked angry, very angry. He took a handful out of his half eaten bowl and threw it at Setep, but he dodged and you know what? It hit the big muscular man in the eye. The man snorted and his eyes went bloodshot. He was very pissed. He started throwing handfuls of gruel, two at a time, in a frenzy.  
  
It hit a few others and there you have it a full blown food fight.  
  
The boys ducked underneathe tables and tried to get out of the tent.  
  
"Stop this madness!!"A voice called threw the whizzing of the gruel balls and cries of men getting hit by them. Whoever it was got hit and screamed, "STOP IT RIGHT NOW, YOU LOWLY DOGS!!"   
  
Everyone looked at the voice's owner, it was the general and commander, "Good. Now explain to me why youre fighting." He said in a strict voice. None of the soldiers looked brave enough to answer him so he said, "Fine have it your way, but you have to clean up every grain of it." Everyone pointed at Setep, but he pointed to Jarha. "Hm so it was you, Setep. Youre off the hook since your the high priest's son. Everyone glared at him while he just smirked smuggly.  
  
"The reason why we came in here was that we got news the prince Atemu and Yuya have run away from home. The Pharaoh, himself has come here."  
  
Atemu and Yuya's eyes widened and their heart beats quickened, Oh no! FATHER'S HERE!, RA PLEASE HELP US! The brothers thought at the same time.  
  
Jarha and Haankeef's eyes widened too. ARE THEY THE-? Haankeef thought. Yummm Gruel, lizards, theyve gone 'way-wait whad the big man jus say? Prince Atemu and Yuya? Dats jus strange cuz our new friends are named dat! Jarha thought. Setep just smirked at Atemu and Yuya, Now they're in for it, heh.  
  
"Everyone must go to the center of camp to hear the Pharaoh speak at sunset."The commander sneered and then added, "Everyone. No one late." Then he and the general walked out with a now cleaned up Setep at their heels.  
  
The friends ran out of the tent before they were asked to clean up the food tent. "We need to set up a tent Yuya." "We'll help you."Haankeef said with the generals words still stuck in his mind. Jarha nodded, "Yeah, but we gotta finish 'fore the assembly." he also had the words in his mind too. "Are ya guys uhh you know da princes? You got da same names."  
  
Atemu and Yuya looked nervous and pale debating if they could trust them with their secret, I don't think they'll tell anybody, they are our friends, and friends keep secrets right? I think we can trust them, Yuya thought. Yuya nodded at his brother.  
  
"Yes, yes we are. Please, just don't tell!" Yuya looked up at them with a pleading look.  
  
"We won't, we promise." Haankeef said hitting his right fist to his chest. Jarha did the same.  
  
"Thank you guys." They built the tent from some linen that Atemu and Yuya had brought on their horses to the camp. Atemu brought the horses to tie up by their tent. He treated the horses with a handful of dried oats. "Good girls." he said to the horses while he brushed them. Sunset. It was almost time.  
  
"We have ta go ta da assembly now." Jarha looked at the setting sun.  
  
"I'm not really looking forward to seeing father, I hope he doesn't recognize us."Yuya said worriedly kicking a rock in front of him.  
  
"Yuya! You're going to jinx us! Let's just relax. He probably wont recognize us. There's going to be alot of other soldiers there too."Atemu reassured his brother.  
  
"Yeah don't worry, kid. It would be very hard for him to spot you."Haankeef added.  
  
"If you guys say so." They started to the center of camp where the assembly was.   
  
"ya know Yuya, when you asked us about keeping your secret, your eyes looked like my little sista's." Jarha said looking up at the sky as he walked.  
  
"What's your sister's name?"Yuya asked.  
  
"It's Sitra."Haankeef answered with stars in his eyes and a blush coming over his face.  
  
"Ey Haan! Dont you start thinkin bout my little sista like dat!"Jarha said with his fist clench and little veins popping out of his head.  
  
Atemu and Yuya just sweatdropped looking at their friends quarrel. "So where you guys from?"Atemu asked.  
  
"We're from Mayra." Haankeef answered, his blush gone now.  
  
They were at the assembly now. There was a least almost one thousand men at the assembly. The pharaoh Anktify stood up from his portable chair.   
  
"I've come here to tell you the importance of you capturing the ones who defiled thousands of my ancestors tombs. Even their mummified bodies. We must capture these bandits and bring them to justice,(0_0 yeah kinda strange but i heard that from the president on TV)they steal from your fields. They steal your only goods. To stop that we must--"an arrow whizzed by the pharaoh's head.   
  
Everyone looked up to the direction the arrow came from. There was a young man in his twenties with silver white hair flowing to the middle of his back standing on a wooden pillar. His skin was tan and under one of his narrowed brown eyes there was a long cut down to the middle of his cheek. He had quiver of arrows slung on his musclar broad shoulder. He smirked at the surprised and frightened faces in the crowd. He aimed his bow at the pharaoh again.  
  
Oh No! Father! Atemu thought. With crazy courage he grabbed a spear from one of the guards standing by a wooden post. "Hey!"the guard snapped to attention,but the boy already made his way to the small wooden circular stage.  
  
The pharaoh recognized the tricolor haired boy who ran on the stage to defend him-it was his older son Atemu!  
  
"Atemu!" his father shouted at him shocked by his courage.  
  
Atemu threw the spear at the white haired man, but he dogded. He grabbed four light weight spears from a pot on stage. "Hm! It's the prince! Let's see what you got!"the white haired man sneered hopping to another pillar. Atemu climbed up the pillar closest to the stage. Yuya, Jarha, Haankeef, and the rest of the men watched silently in curiousty as the prince tried to take down the bandit assassin himself.   
  
Atemu finally got to the top of the pillar. He threw another spear at his father's assailant. The bandit simply jumped to another pillar. Then Atemu got an idea, What if I throw all my spears at him at once in a triangular pattern? It'll at most chance hit him since he dodges to a pillar right or left of him. He threw the spears in a triangular pattern and the bandit tried to dodge, but got hit in the arm with one. The white haired man grasped his bleeding arm. He then said, "Spoiled brat, remember my name and remember it well, Bakenmut, the king of thieves." And with that he jumped off the pillar and hopped on the tents to his black horse. He rode off into the desert.   
  
Atemu climbed off the pillar and walked to his father. "Father, I'm sorry I came here with Yuya."  
  
"It's fine Atemu, I've decided to make you commander."Ankhtify said proudly.  
  
"But why? Father after I caused you all this trouble?" Atemu asked surprised.  
  
"You proved to me that you can fight like a man who's fought battles for his entire life and," he pointed to his guards holding the former commander, "He was a spy for the tomb robbers."  
  
"Father will Yuya be able to stay here too?"Atemu asked.  
  
The pharaoh looked thoughtful for a moment, "Yes he can. Just watch over him. I'll be returning to Thebes to keep order there."  
  
With that the Pharaoh said the speech and gave Atemu a golden sword and a upside down pyramid shaped puzzle. "It's the millenium puzzle, it has special powers, no doubt the bandit was after this. Take care of it, keep it with you at all times."  
  
The next day the pharaoh left to Thebes. The new commander of the pharaoh's army trained the new unexpierienced soldiers until they were a highly experienced army. A year later a strange group of new soldiers came to the camp to be trained.  
  
Hm.. Wonder who they are? The girls enter next chapter. I hate asking you this but COULD YOU PLEASE HELP ME WITH A TITLE? Thankyou for reading and please review! 


	3. Chapter3

ennovy: I've decided to name this story 'Desert Sands'. What do you think? To me it sounds a little dumb but its the title!  
  
Thanks:  
  
Random insane person:Thanks for title ideas! I can't wait til you update Learning to Fight Again.  
  
Buka2000:I'm glad you like it!^^Thanks for the ideas on the title too.  
  
Crisskitty:Anzu is sort of a priestess. There's a ceremony too, but someone ruins it. Yamis a commander.   
  
Azulfire5:Thanks for reading and the title ideas!  
  
The girls are in this chapter! I betcha youre like "finally!" Yeah at first i thought bout making the story centered around Anzu, but I needed to put some around Yami too since hes the guy of the story. I thought about not making yami royal and just start him off being a commander. But i had more ideas this way so i made him a prince running away from home. There's gonna be three mulans in this but the main one is Anzu!   
  
Anzu: I feel so loved!  
  
ennovy: I dont own Yugioh or its characters though i do in another dimension! Here i only own Cards, Subbed Dvds, Vcds, etc. The bad thing is i cant continue in the other dimension since i accidently killed the characters from overworking them.*sweatdrops* Well on with the story! Once again if you dont know the characters new names please go back to the first chapter.  
  
This is kind of torture to put Rebbecca in the story but luckily its only for a chapter.  
  
********************************************************  
  
Chapter 3  
  
A year has past since Atemu became a commander. "So we're going to the Millenium Ceremony?"Atemu asked the general while watching over the new trainees do their routines, "Where's it being held?"  
  
"It's being held in Mayra,"the general replied putting a gold bracelet on his arm, "The pharaoh has ordered that we have to go there since a couple millenium items are being prayed upon at the shrine there. He can't come himself, since he has things to attend to so, you and Yuya are in his place. The tomb robbers most likely will strike Mayra next. It's strange they haven't attacked since you've became commander." The general was almost like a second father to Atemu and Yuya.   
  
"Isn't that where you came from Jar?"Yuya asked cupping his chin with a hand.  
  
"Yep, Me and Haankeef will finally be able ta see our families catch up afta a year of training."  
  
"Yeah! And I'll finally be able to see-"Haankeef got a hit the head with Jarha's fist before he could blush and say Sitra. Atemu, Yuya, and the general sweatdropped at the two.  
  
"Anouncement!"Atemu cried to the trainees who looked up at him, "We are leaving to Mayra as we said today. Consider it as a little vacation from your routines, if the bandits don't attack us. Pack your bags. We're leaving in ten minutes! Get on with it!"He and Yuya ran back into their tents to change into their royal clothing while the trainees scrambled to their tents to pack their things. Each one hoped the bandits(im calling the tomb robbers this cuz it sounds better and quicker to type) wouldn't attack.  
  
~*~  
  
A fifteen year old cerulean eyed chesnut haired girl sat under a desert palm daydreaming. 'I wish something would just happen. I used to think that being priestess would be all that. I wish something would happen,' the girl thought. She drifted off to a doze. A small figure on a white horse came up to her an jumped off.  
  
"ABANA!"  
  
"Huh?!"Abana woke up, "Hey! Mokhtar! Geez! That was rude! Why are you here anyway?!"she yelled at her eleven year old brother.  
  
Mokhtar looked worried, angry, and scared all at the same time, he tapped his foot, "Abana! You know what time it is?!"  
  
She looked up to the sky,"OH RA! I almost forgot! The Millenium Ceremony starts at midafternoon! Everybody's depending on me the ritual, including the other prestesses!" The girl jumped up and smoothed the wrinkles and dry grass off her knee-length kalarisiris(an:a dress middle and high class women wore in New Kingdom Egypt).  
  
"Mother's really angry right now. I wouldn't want to delay her waiting any longer, if I was you."Mokhtar said while he adjusted his kilt. The horse started to nibble on one of his long black locks, "Hey!"  
  
Abana whistled and the horse came to her, she lifted Mokhtar onto the horse and then mounted herself,"Good al Bilik.(lame name for a horse ~_~;)Let's get home quickly guys."   
  
Meanwhile a forth a mile away from where Abana and Mokhtar were, their mother standing there in their home, a three story white clay house a couple miles from the shrine, tapping her foot, "Where is that girl?! She knew she had to be home before midday so we can get her fixed up for the ritual...She knows how important this is."  
  
"Don't worry Asrett, I'm sure Abana will get here soon. I sent Mokhtar to get her,"her husband reassured his wife patting her on the back. They heard galloping coming towards their home. "See there they are now."  
  
Abana jumped off al Bilik and stroked its nose. "That's the fastest that we ever ridden."   
  
"Yeah, It was..."Mokhtar said looking a little green in the face. He jumped off al Bilik and ran behind the house to the well. Abana jumped off too and walked towards the clay house Her mother and father came to greet Abana at the doorway.  
  
"What are thinking making us wait that late for you to get here!" Asrett yelled at her daughter as they walked to the stalls.  
  
"I'm sorry making you wait that late mother,"Abana apologized suddenly finding her leather sandals very interesting, "I was just thinking."  
  
"Then finish up your thinking! And I do hope you still remember how to pray! I'll be surprised if still remember things when you're twenty! Anyway, you know how hard it is getting a tailor especially around the ceremony! We need to get going now! Atteesh, we're picking up mother at the marketplace. Could you come and pick us up at the bathing ladies while on your way to the ceremony?"Atteesh nodded while he attached a sitting chariot to al Bilik and motioned his wife and daughter to get on. Mokhtar ran around the corner and said, "I wanna come too!"  
  
"Fine Mokhtar. Get on,"Abana said as her little brother clambered onto the chariot next to his sister.  
  
"Ok, I'll see you there at the festival then, I meet you at mother's food market."Atteesh said walking back inside the house.  
  
"Bye Father!"Abana said waving as her mother slapped the horses hindquarters with a thick reed. They started towards the marketplace where Abana's grandmother was.  
  
When they got there Abana and Mokhtar ran inside to get her, "Grandmother? Today's the ceremony."  
  
The old woman turned around, "Today's the what?" Her hearing wasn't as good as it used to be.  
  
Mokhtar said loud and slowly, "Today is the ceremony."  
  
"Oh? Today's the ceremony?"the old woman limped towards her grandchildren on her cane.  
  
Abana sighed, "Yes it is, remember Grandmother?"  
  
The old woman's eyes lit up as she remembered the ceremony, "Oh, yes! I forgot!" Abana and Mokhtar each grabbed one of her hands and led her to the reed door. Their mother was waiting in front sitting in the chariot.  
  
"Oh! Be dears and lift her up."she said.  
  
Abana and Mokhtar reluctantly lifted the senior onto the chariot, and looked to each other sharing glances saying 'She weighs almost like a lama!' and climbed up too.  
  
"Let's get you to the bathers."Asrett said whipping al Bilik with the reed causing it to plow its hoofs into the dirt road. They passed a few open shops to this one that looked pretty plain. "Here we are. Mokhtar, it'll take awhile so you and your grandmother go wait at the shrine, where our spot is, stay together."  
  
"Ok mom."Mokhtar and the old woman set off to the shrine.  
  
"Now I hope Ra will give us time to get you ready."Asrett said as she and Abana walked into the plain shop.  
  
"Oh! You're here now? We didn't think you were going to get here in time! Good thing you did!"the bathing lady said pulling Abana behind the linen curtain telling her to strip(an:NOT THAT WAY PERVS! like to take a bath.~_~;) and get in the big barrel of water.   
  
When Abana had done that she stepped into the water and shivered, "Brr! It's cold!" The bathing lady shoved her in saying, "We haven't got all day, child!" She started scrubbing dry grass out of Abana's waist length chesnut hair. The woman had questioning in her eyes, "Uh, I was taking a nap on some grass earlier,"Abana said still shaking from the cold water.   
  
The bathing lady emptied a little oil in her palm and patted it onto Abana's hair, "That's very un-lady like. You must be poised." She picked up a jar of clean water and poured it on Abana head. She pointed to another barrel of clean warm perfumed water, "You need to get into that, so you can scrub yourself,"she said when she saw Abana's uneasiness of being touched anywhere else.  
  
Abana nodded and climbed into the other barrel and closed her eyes scrubbing herself. It was nice a warm.  
  
'Ahh..I can't wait until the ceremony starts. But I'm nervous! Maharet and Sitra are going to be there too. Even Renefankh is going to be there, that brat! If the festival has one less person there, I hope its her. I think I'll take a little nappy...' she thought as she dozed off in the heavily perfumed steamy water.  
  
"Hey are you done yet?" Asrett, she had changed into priestess robes, and the bathing lady asked as they walked around the linen curtain. Abana snapped awake, "Ah! Yes! I am!" She got out of the bath. Some other women came in and brought Abana into the back, after she put some clean testing clothes on, to measure her for the outfit she would wear and then get her eyes and mouth painted(i dont feel like putting the detail on that). Half an hour later she was wearing a strapless kalasiris to her ankles. She then wrapped a hooded shawl on her shoulders.(im not good at describing clothing)  
  
She had golden ring bracelets on her wrists and ankles, a thick golden necklace, and hoop earings. Her chesnut hair was down, decorated with beads on the ends, except for a couple strands that were braided on the side. Her sparkling cerulean eyes standed out with the black outline and her lips were mud red color. She wore leather sandals with colorful beads on the straps  
  
"Now, you're ready."Asrett said admiring her daughter. She nodded her approval at the ladies at the shop and they beamed. Atteesh, also wearing his priest robes, was sitting in his other chariot waiting in the front. The two got in and rode to the shrine(its kinda like a concert but no ones screaming or singing along). Her parents waved at her as they went behind the shrine to park the chariot, find Mokhtar and grandmother, and Ateesh called to her, "Make us proud."  
  
It was pretty crowded in front of the shrine and in the streets in near it. Plus there were soldiers standing around.  
  
'That's odd,' Abana thought as she looked at the soldiers, 'I wonder if Jarha and Haankeef are here? I haven't seen them since they were recruited to fight the bandits.'  
  
"Hey, Abana!" and "Hey hun!" someone called out to her. She watched as her two friends Maharet and Sitra push through the crowd towards her. They were wearing similar kalarisises for the ritual.  
  
"Oh my Ra! I'm so nervous! But its exciting"Sitra squealed happily her hazel eyes dancing.  
  
"Yeah me too! Have you seen the soldiers around here? It's strange,"Maharet said twirling a blond strand of hair around her finger, "I wonder why they're here."  
  
"I've heard we're praying on something the bandits want so the soldiers are here to make sure nothing happens when we pray,"Abana said fingering one of her braids, "I wonder if your brother and Haankeef are here?"  
  
When Abana said Haankeef, Sitra blushed and Maharet looked at her sweatdropping, "Someone she's crushing on? And who's her brother?"  
  
"Oh yeah! I forgot! You haven't met them yet right? You moved here after Jarha and Haankeef left. You'll meet them if they're here after the prayer,"Abana said looking at the older violet eyed blonde haired girl.   
  
"Hey guys!" an annoying girly voice that the three girls dreaded.  
  
A young girl of 13 with dirty blonde hair in two braids with green eyes and freckles sprinkled on her cheeks bounded up to them pushing her way through the people. She said with an annoying giggle, "You know you have to get in the shrine now."  
  
The three girls rolled their eyes, "That's what we were going to do, Renefankh."  
  
"Oh! Didja know the princes are here?"The girls eyes widened, their faces looked pressured, "They're watching your prayer! Sooo, don't trip!" Renefankh said with a gleam in her eyes. With that said, she skipped through the crowd.  
  
"Oh Ra, I hate that girl,"Abana said glaring daggers at the bouncing girl.  
  
"I know what you mean hun,"Maharet and Sitra also glared.  
  
~*~  
  
'Hehheh, heed my warning in what I said last,' the girl thought as she skipped, 'Master Bakenmut will be so proud of me! Teehee!'   
  
Renefankh walked to an alleyway, "Master? Do I have to get in the shrine now?"  
  
"Yes! And shut up foolish child! Do you want them to hear us?"a voice hissed from a large pot.  
  
"No..."  
  
"Then beat it! Get in the shrine!"  
  
"Ok, master,"Renefankh hurried away to get in her hiding spot on the stage.  
  
"Stupid child, doesn't she know not to talk to strangers? Children like her can be manipulated easily."The man got out pot revealing Bakenmut, "Well maybe I should get in my position now." Out of other pots came some of his bandits he brought along.  
  
~*~  
  
'This is boring. When's it going to start?' Yuya wondered sitting in a chair on a platform across the stage-like shrine. Atemu sitting next to him thought the same thing. The general, Jarha, and Haankeef stood next to the platform on the ground. Just then three dancers ran up the stairs and stood in front of a big marble statue of Ra and an atler with the Millenium Eye and Tauk.  
  
"Dats my sista!"Jarha pointed at the youngest looking girl. Haankeef started to blush and say something but Jarha clamped his hand over his mouth, "And dat," he pointed to the girl in the middle with waist length chesnut hair, "Is Abana, da priestess and priest's daughter, she's my sista's friend. And da other girl I dunno, but all I know she's hot!"he said as he pointed to the blond. Haankeef was drooling over Sitra.  
  
"Jarha. Quiet."Atemu said admiring the girl with waist length chesnut hair named Abana.  
  
~*~  
  
"Hey Maharet! There's Jarha and Haankeef,"Abana whispered pointing to a platform across from the shrine opening. She looked at the two boys sitting in chairs on the platform, "They must be the princes! Kinda weird looking hair!"  
  
"We can talk to Jarha and Haankeef after the ritual,"Sitra excitedly.  
  
"Here's the incense,"Maharet said handing the other two one incense each.  
  
Abana, Maharet, and Sitra each lit their piece of incense. Abana placed hers in Ra's coiled tail, Maharet placed hers in Ra's right hand, and Sitra placed hers in its left. They stepped back a few steps and they started to hum. They stood in front of the altar, there was a golden tauk laying there. They put their hands together and started chanting an incantation. The crowd watched silently as they slowly became drowzy.  
  
~*~  
  
Renefankh was sitting behind the statue, 'Now it's time! Teehee!'She slid behind the praying trio and looked at the tauk on the altar, 'Doesn't look that special-Eep!'  
  
~*~  
  
"Eek!"Abana tripped over Renefankh as she walked to the altar with her eyes closed, as she was supposed to. Seeing as she still was holding hands with Sitra and Maharet they came falling down with her, Sitra on the top of the dogpile with Maharet and Abana in the middle and the brat on the bottom.  
  
"Get off me!"the whiney girl screamed her voice echoing in the shrine to the peoples' ears, they were in a kind of trance watching them, and snapped back to reality.   
  
"What's that girl doing in there?!"people started shouting.  
  
Atemu and Yuya along with Jarha and Haankeef woke from their trance and looked at the dogpile. The small girl with the braided pigtails shoved the girls off her, grabbed the tauk and ran off.  
  
"STOP DAT KID!"Jarha screamed to the soldiers surrounding the stage and seemed to still be in lala land. They ran after Renefankh and finally caught her. Atemu was angry at this brat for ruining the ceremony for the young priestesses.  
  
~*~  
  
"Lemme go Meanies!(an:*looks at what she just wrote and rolls over laughing*)"Renefankh squealed like a dying pig thrashing in the soldiers' hands.(*pictures Rebecca as a pig and snickers*). They brought her in front of the platform with the two princes and people surrounding it glaring down at her.  
  
"Why'd you steal the tauk?"Atemu asked trying to be calm, afterall this was just a kid-a bratty one.  
  
"I'm not tellin!"she shrieked.  
  
~*~  
  
Abana, Maharet, and Sitra were on the stage just as angry as the prince was. The brat ruined their performance! They'd been practicing for a half a year for it! Maharet thought angrily, 'That brat gets what she deserves!'  
  
'We've been practicing this like-forever! She just happens be in here and trips us! Brat!'Sitra thought crying.  
  
Abana just stared at Renefankh, 'Why would she do this to us? Sure she was jealous, but she did say not to trip before we got in here. Wonder what her punishment will be?'  
  
~*~  
  
"What are you going to do to me? Huh huh huh?"The brat challenged.  
  
"We're going to let you off, since you're a kid."Atemu said hating the fact.  
  
"phew,"Renefankh said relieved. (I wouldnt! Im a kid too! *looks at list on how to kill Rebecca*)  
  
"But, youre going to spend a night in jail for stealing,"Yuya said smirking.  
  
Renefankh started to cry in her high pitch voice as the soldiers put their fingers in their ears and brought her into a cell.  
  
~*~  
  
"Stupid child!"Bakenmut said as he watched from the roof of the shrine slamming his fist onto the cold stone, "She's going to pay! For some reason I knew a weakling like her wouldn't be able to steal it!"  
  
He jumped off the roof and hid behind the statue and thought,'I'll just wait until they start the ritual again.'  
  
The tauk was placed back up on the altar. The girls started where they left off. 'Now it's time!'Bakenmut thought gleefully. While their eyes were closed he inched closer to the tauk.  
  
Abana opened her eyes to see if the ritual was working, but instead saw a white haired man slowly walking up to the altar, "Hey! What do you think you're doing up here?!" The crowd looked up at the white haired man. Some gasped.   
  
Atemu recognized him-the same one who tried to kill his father, "Soldiers!"they ran to the white haired man.  
  
Bakenmut froze then turned around, "Damn! They caught me!" He glared at the girl who saw him. He snatched the tauk off the altar.  
  
'Oh no! The tauk! He's not going to get away for this! I'm not going to let this happen two times today!'Abana thought putting her foot in front of the man. He simply lept over it.  
  
"No! You're not going to get away with it!"Abana yelled as she dove for his ankle and caught it. The soldiers just stood there dumbfounded. Bakenmut just kept running with Abana hanging on to his foot.  
  
"Stop running!"she yelled. Bakenmut picked up the tired girl. "Dont touch me bastard! We dont need another person after this thing!"She said kicking at him.  
  
He kicked her in the stomach, "Don't touch me either!" Abana keeled over clutching her stomach.  
  
"Okay! Now!"Bakenmut turned around and the soldiers were surrounding him on all sides. Five of them wrestled his arms around his back and tied his hand to his back.   
  
He was then brought in front of Atemu and Yuya. Atemu's eyes narrowed, "You,"he said coldly, "Put ten soldiers around his cell."He ordered a couple soldiers.  
  
"You won't keep me contained!!" Bakenmut yelled as the soldiers led him to his cell.  
  
~*~after the ritual~*~  
  
"Finally the rituals done!"People cried as they went to go celebrate in the town square. The girls made a sigh of relief. Nothing happened on the third time.  
  
Atteesh, Asrett, Mokhtar, and their grandmother waved at Abana saying they were tired and were going home. They told her to be home before midnight. "Ok, Bye!"Abana waved at them as they rode in two chariets back to their home.   
  
"Abana!"Abana turned around to see Jarha and Haankeef. "Oh my Ra! Is that you Jarha-Haankeef?!"   
  
"Yeah. We've missed ya guys so much! So who are you?"Jarha blushed asking Maharet.   
  
"It's Maharet,"Maharet said wondering why he was blushing at her.  
  
"Oy Haankeef stop doing dat!"Jarha said pulling a blushing Haankeef away from hugging his sister, "Sitra! I've missed ya sis!"  
  
"I missed you too, big brother!"Sitra said hugging her brother.  
  
Abana noticed the other two boys hanging behind them, "So who are your new friends, Haankeef?"She asked walking towards them. They were the boys with the strange hair. Atemu blushed, she looked prettier close up.  
  
"Uh, Atemu?"Yuya nudged Atemu in the shoulder, "Uh yeah, I'm Yuya and this is Atemu."  
  
"Hello, uhh that was a pretty brave thing you did to the bandit earlier,"Atemu said not knowing what else to say.  
  
"Thanks. I'm Abana,"She said thinking, 'Well I have to say they dont look that weird close up!'  
  
"THE PRISONER HAS ESCAPED!!!"  
  
Whew this is the longest Ive ever written. Review! 


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